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  • Question About Workflow

    Recently on another thread, I mentioned that I was having problems with a ground loop on my computer after having to replace my power supply with a cheaper, less powerful one. Since then, I have had problems with a humming and buzzing noise in all of my transfers.

    I tried to resolve the problem with a cheap ground loop isolator I got off of Amazon, but it seems to suck the low end and a noticeable portion of the mids right out of the signal, so I have had to return to using the Harmonic Reject filter and my own personal "Humbuster" preset. Additionally, I have been experimenting with using the Spectral Subtraction option in the CNF to try and get the hum out like that.

    This is my current workflow. I am hoping that I am doing things in the right order:

    1. I capture at 24/48 through the internal sound on the motherboard. I was previously using an M-Audio Fast Track Pro, but the drivers were locked down to 24/44.1 in Windows 10, not to mention that they were not meant to be used there and M-Audio has no intention of continuing development of drivers for a more or less dead product. I was capturing at 24/96, but I found that 24/48 was a much better fit for my computer.

    2. Following capture, I take the complete WAV file into xxxxxxxx. I still don't feel sure enough in my abilities to use DC8's tools right now, but I will give it another go soon...

    3. I bring the declicked WAV back into DC8. The first thing I do is run it through the Harmonic Reject filter with the "Humbuster," using the "Keep Residue Mode" to fine-tune it. Basically I increase the attenuation until I'm just barely hearing parts of the music bleeding through.

    4. I run the CNF, using Spectral Subtraction with 40 for attenuation. For a lot of early needle drops, I was cranking the attenuation up to 75, especially when I was using it to try and remove the buzz/hum. It kinda worked, but the lower end sounded artificial and lifeless, so I backed down to 40. I also raised the threshold using the same technique I used for the Humbuster filter, basically backing off when I heard it catching things like cello strokes.

    5. I place my markers, which is made easier because I can see the quiet passages between tracks. To double check, I also consult Discogs.com.

    6. I normalize to -1.0 dB.

    7. I go from 24/48 to 16/44.1 using Master Quality and either Triangular or Noise.

    8. Finally I quantize for CD and chop the file up, after which I encode them for .m4a in LameXP. I usually have to change the file extension because otherwise iTunes won't upload them to iCloud Music Library.

    The end result is not bad, but unfortunately, the hum/buzz is only greatly diminished, not eliminated altogether.

    I welcome any suggestions on how I might improve the process. The results are good, but I always feel like I could be doing better, like there's something I'm missing...

    P. S.: I know that the screenshots are from a demo of DC10, but these techniques were developed in and will be used again in DC8 once the DC10 demo times out.
    Last edited by Craig Maier; 05-26-2017, 11:31 AM.

  • #2
    I would have to hear a snippet of the raw file to make any determinations. It could be that the hum is actually high frequency buzz, which can be addressed nicely with the EZ Impulse filter (crackle slider control). Send me a snippet and I will report back. Send it to dctools@aol.com

    Craig
    "Who put orange juice in my orange juice?" - - - William Claude Dukenfield

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    • #3
      Done. Just sent you a brief example, plus a spectrogram shot.

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      • #4
        Hi - I got it a little while ago and found some decent settings using the Harmonic Reject Filter. They were as follows:

        Harmonic Reject Filter
        Range: 60
        Frequency: 60.00 Hz
        Attenuation: 55 dB
        Filter Harmonics: Odd Only
        Use IIR Mode: Off
        Maximum Harmonic: 25

        These gave decent results without damaging the music. Nonetheless, I would recommend isolating the system to eliminate the ground loop that is causing the problem.

        Craig

        "Who put orange juice in my orange juice?" - - - William Claude Dukenfield

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